God
Talk: Inside the RAV—Discipline
Product
vs Process
—Gina Moore
There was
a time in my life when the end product was all that mattered.
Any student who ever came through my classroom doors will tell
you that process was simply a means to an end. Be it a theatre
production or an English paper, the product was paramount. We
results-driven personalities are wired that way. Well, good news,
folks. Old dogs can learn new tricks, and God has used ARTreach
180 to show me how terribly wrong I have been all these years.
While the product is the ultimate finish line, it is through the
process of running the race that God teaches us the most valuable
lessons.
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Staff
member Shane Collins works with
Ebony on a project. |
We’ll
call her Ebony. Thirteen years old, bounced from relative to relative
because her mom is currently in prison. We almost gave up on her
so many times. There were days when she sucked the life out of
every adult there, and there were several times when she got mad
and took off to walk home by herself, forcing staff to chase her
down and talk her back into the group. Let’s just say that
wherever Ebony went, drama followed. Still there was something
there, some hint of progress with every episode, so we didn’t
give up. We kept building on her strengths and redirecting her
mistakes.
Last week
ARTreach 180 for this school year came to a close. In one of our
“Wind Down” sessions, Dee asked the kids to sum up
what they would take away. Ebony’s summation shocked all
of us: “I learned that the world does not revolve around
me.” For the closing program she chose to sing “Man
in the Mirror,” but she had to finish it through her tears.
None of her family came to the program, so I took her home. In
the seat beside me, she began to cry again. I asked her what she
would miss the most. Her answer was simple yet profound: “I
always knew that was someplace where people cared about me.”
The end product
was not perfect that night, but the process that the kids went
through to get there was where they learned the life lessons,
where they explored new perspectives, where they always knew there
were people who cared about them. Thank You, Father, for using
these kids to teach me to appreciate and savor the process on
the path to the product.
ARTreach
180 begins again in September.
We need more volunteers! Interested?
Email us at crosswalk03@bellsouth.net.
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IN
THIS EDITION
GOD
TALK: Inside the RAV — Discipline
Product
vs Process
Tour
Update
Dear
Crosswalk Family,
This
year's Crosswalk tour is just a few weeks away. "Elevate"
will encourage kids to take their relationships with
God to new heights.
One
of Satan's most effective tools is to convince us that
a little religion is enough, and in doing so he robs
us of a deeply rooted relationship with Jesus. The parable
of the sower in Matthew 13 paints a vivid picture of
the result of such a shallow relationship. Unless the
anchor is cast deep, it won't hold through the storms
of life.
We need your help to take this message of hope to juvenile
offenders throughout the Midwest. We are currently $7,376
from our budget.
The
tour will begin in Houston this year, so if you are
an Atlanta supporter who normally gives at the pre-tour
concert, please click below to give now. The Atlanta
concert will be at the end, so don't wait!
We
need your help to reach our budget before we go. Thank
you for allowing us to take this trip for the past 18
years and proclaim freedom to more than 40,000 captive
hearts!
Running
the race,
Gina
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